1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to rowing machines and in particular to a rowing simulation machine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Rowing machines are well-known for the purposes of building up general fitness and/or for training specifically for rowing and related sports. Rowing machines allow the user to exercise both upper body and lower body strength by simulating roughly the movement required to propel a rowboat through the water.
There is a variety of prior art rowing machines including a rowing simulator disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,779,600 (Pape) utilizing a flywheel that is driven by a pair of oars. U.S. Pat. No. 4,743,011 (Coffey) discloses a rowing machine that uses a flywheel as a resistance member, and has cam sector arms that are pivoted to rotate with the machine's oars. The arcuate shape of the cam sector arms provide a constant resistance force to the stroke of the oars over the oar sweep. U.S. Pat. No. 5,092,581 (Koz) discloses a rowing exercise machine providing a limited degree of free lateral rotation to aid in simulating the rock of a real rowboat. It uses a gyroscopic flywheel system to provide resistance and a limited level of lateral stability.
These prior art rowing machines present a number of disadvantages including the complexity of their designs. Complex mechanisms often involve a high level of maintenance and a high purchase price. Another disadvantage of U.S. Pat. No. 4,743,011 (Coffey), is that the machine presents danger to the user, and others in the vicinity of the machine, by virtue of the swinging cam sector arms. Yet another disadvantage of the prior art is the large amount of space these machines occupy and the subsequent difficulty associated with their transportation and handling within gymnasiums and rowing sheds.
The present invention seeks to provide a rowing simulation machine that will overcome or substantially ameliorate at least some of the deficiencies of the prior art, or to at least provide an alternative.